Traveling through the second dimension, the joy system encourages me to laugh heartily!

The system notification sounded in Chen Ming's mind as expected.

Killing two birds with one stone, Chen Ming both revealed the truth and further enhanced Epona's favorability. A wicked smile, as if he had everything under control, crept onto his lips.

He continued, his gaze returning to Princess Farina, his tone brimming with confidence: "So, Princess Farina, if you can accept and respect the fact that I have a harem, and are willing to become one of them and get along well with the other sisters, then I welcome you to join us."

To Chen Ming's surprise, Princess Farina showed no sign of displeasure or disappointment upon hearing this. Instead, she seemed to have heard something perfectly reasonable. She nodded slightly and said in a calm and rational tone:

"This is the way of nature. Truly powerful men, like the leader of a pride of lions, will naturally attract and have many outstanding women follow them. My father also had several queens, and together they maintained the prosperity of the royal family..."

At this point, the girl slightly raised her chin, her clear eyes holding a hint of appreciation, even more so than before:

"Moreover, you chose to be so honest with me beforehand, giving me the right to know and choose, instead of letting me know afterward. This respect and gentleness are far more touching than any insincere promises. I... am really growing to like you more and more~"

At the same time, Niman chimed in with a grin:

"Princess Farina, now that you've decided to marry Lord Chen Ming, please 'lend' him to me often after the wedding!"

The girl deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of the word "borrow," the implication of which was self-evident.

"As the daughter of the Duke of Lomarin, I desperately need Lord Chen Ming's excellent 'bloodline' for the sake of the family's future. Father, you would agree, wouldn't you?"

Duke Lomalin showed no surprise whatsoever; on the contrary, he readily agreed, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Of course. I can't possibly object to pursuing a better future."

Chen Ming understood. The "borrowing" that Niman mentioned naturally referred to "borrowing sperm."

In this world where magic determines individual potential, the aristocratic class, in order to produce better offspring, will more or less carefully select spouses and strive to bring better bloodlines into their family. This is a common social phenomenon and a form of political correctness.

However, the Lomarin family went to far more extreme and "over the top" in this regard than any other family!

Their family's ultimate goal has long surpassed the simple continuation of power or the expansion of the family; they aspire to pursue "human evolution"!

To achieve this ultimate goal, they would spare no effort to use all the wealth, power, and ability accumulated by their families to acquire all the "superior genes" they deem acceptable.

For example, in order to obtain a special bloodline that they considered to be extremely superior, they brazenly launched a war relying solely on the fighting power cultivated within their family, destroyed a country, and ultimately "invited" the last heir of that bloodline back to Lomarin Castle.

Each generation of Duke Lomarin, like the most greedy collector, would acquire one outstanding woman after another who possessed exceptional talent, special abilities, or unparalleled beauty, and impregnate them, thus frantically optimizing the family's gene pool.

In this way, among the many offspring, the most outstanding child who best meets the family's expectations will be officially designated as the next heir to the Duke of Lomarin.

The remaining offspring, though unable to inherit the title, would become the family's most loyal and powerful retainers due to their superior bloodline, serving the direct line of relatives. All family members, from the core to the periphery, strictly adhered to and followed this ruthless yet efficient set of "eugenics" rules.

In the eyes of the paranoid Lomarin family, the current human race is far from "complete" or "perfect," and has too many flaws and shortcomings.

Therefore, they must, like a craftsman polishing a rough jade, collect all the "perfect" parts scattered in the world, refine and integrate them, in order to finally cultivate the "truly perfect person" they envision.

The result of such repeated efforts and practices over hundreds of years is the Duke of Lomarin, Neman Lomarin, and Princess Farina before us.

All three were so beautiful they were almost inhuman, transcending the realm of ordinary humans, and all possessed extraordinary magical talents...

Chapter 246: Snake Den

Although Chen Ming couldn't see the specific information panel of Duke Lomarin, who was male, he could guess that his appearance was also extraordinary based on the high combined appearance of his daughters, Niman and Princess Farina, who had a combined appearance of 97 points.

Indeed, Chen Ming, who was familiar with the original work, knew that Princess Farina's father was none other than the gentle-smiling Duke Lomarin standing before him!

On the surface, Princess Farina's mother—the only daughter of the previous king—married into the family of the Duke of Lomarin's brother.

But in reality, it was Duke Lomarin himself who actually married Princess Farina's mother and had twins!

His brother was nothing more than a puppet husband who was pushed to the forefront to cover up the truth.

Although Chen Ming didn't understand why they went to such lengths and did such a roundabout thing—wouldn't it have been simpler and more direct to have Farina's mother marry Duke Lomarin himself?

This may involve more complex royal rules, power balances, and even exchanges of interests.

But the truth is just that absurd.

Duke Lomarin had the princess give birth to twins. He kept Farina, who was born with cherry blossom-colored hair and could prove her pure royal lineage, in the royal family; while Niman, who did not have royal hair color proof, was adopted by him as his daughter and brought back to the Lomarin family to be carefully raised.

No wonder he so wholeheartedly supports Princess Farina, even personally planning her future, after all, she is his own daughter.

This is by no means just out of simple paternal love. In the eyes of the Duke of Lomarin, Princess Farina, who embodies both royal legitimacy and the excellent genes of the Lomarin family, is a precious "weapon" for the Lomarin family, which pursues "truly perfect people," to achieve their long-cherished wish.

……

Upon hearing Niman's bold request to "borrow" the item, Chen Ming smiled and said in a relaxed tone:

"Why borrow? If you can accept my rules and are willing to live with other sisters and ping, then you can choose to join my harem directly."

As he spoke, his expression became slightly more serious, and he looked sharply at Niman, reminding her:

"However, I need to make this clear beforehand—you are free now, you can do whatever you want, it's none of my business! But if you choose to join, you will never be able to leave in this lifetime. No matter what happens in the future, you will always be mine. This is a one-way street, please think carefully before making your decision!"

Upon hearing this, Niman's smile became even brighter and more genuine, and she answered without hesitation:

"I understand what you mean. Please rest assured, once I, Niman Lomarin, make a choice, I will stick to it and never regret it. After you and Princess Farina have your wedding, it will be my turn~"

She winked playfully, "You can't abandon me just because you've won the princess's heart... Besides, thinking about it, the thought of serving the same man as Princess Farina is... kind of exciting."

As she spoke, the girl revealed a genuine, unpretentious smile.

Thus, the two topics of this meeting—the extermination of the demon race and the marriage alliance—have been basically settled.

However, Chen Ming did not stay on the spot to have a more "in-depth" conversation with Princess Farina and Niman, or to discuss the wedding details immediately.

His attention was drawn to a subtle, resentful aura emanating from the person around him.

Epona stood silently to the side, her pale cheeks puffed out, her large, red eyes glistening with tears, staring intently at him with a tearful, aggrieved look—a look that clearly accused him: I was here first! I was the one who held hands, I was the one who fought, I was the one who shared the mission… How could I let these newcomers, especially this princess who was already talking about marriage, get there first?

Chen Ming smiled inwardly, seeing Epona's rare display of girlishness, and immediately got up to say goodbye, taking Epona with him as they left.

Duke Lomarin, Princess Farina, and Neman understood that such a marriage was not something to be rushed, so they did not try to stop them, but simply smiled and watched them leave.

As soon as Epona stepped out of the luxurious castle gates of Duke Lomarin's residence, she breathed a sigh of relief. The inexplicable bitterness and grievances she had felt earlier seemed to have been blown away by the wind.

Although Chen Ming didn't make any promises to her immediately, his decision to leave with her without hesitation brightened her mood, and even made the corners of her mouth unconsciously turn up slightly.

Chen Ming personally escorted her back to the hero's exclusive castle and spent some time comforting this simple-minded female hero. There were no excessive sweet words, but mostly kisses, hugs, and piggyback rides. This was enough to reassure Epona, and her crimson eyes once again shone with happiness.

Having properly dealt with the "threat of world destruction," Chen Ming's mind immediately returned to the right track—to slay the demons.

So far, he has successfully slain two demons: one died from Crimson's hydrogen bomb attack, and the other perished from his Sword Saint's Blessing. Both demons were the brute type, prone to reckless slaughter, and although they possessed immortality, their approach to dealing with them was relatively straightforward.

In contrast, his next target—the Serpent Demons—seemed quite unusual.

Unlike other demons who roam the wilderness or create conspicuous acts of terror, she chose a more cunning and elusive method: she perfectly transformed into a human and deeply integrated into human society!

Her chosen target was the Earl of Granfellt.

The previous heir to the title of this family was a capable man who had accumulated a considerable fortune, but his incompetent descendants squandered almost all of it, making them a typical declining family in the royal capital's aristocratic circles.

Just six months ago, a mysterious and beautiful woman married the ailing Count Granfelt and became the new Countess.

She is a snake demon.

Just one month after this lady married into the family, the elderly and frail Count Granfelt suddenly "passed away." Afterwards, the newly widowed Countess naturally took over the reins of the Granfelt estate.

Surprisingly, just a few months after she took over the management, the once lifeless territory miraculously came back to life. Various industries seemed to have been revived, fiscal revenue increased significantly, and there were signs of improvement all at once.

All of this was naturally due to the powerful charm possessed by Mina, the Serpent Demon. This made her popular and supported both inside and outside her territory, quickly consolidating her position.

Chen Ming had known of her existence for some time, but hesitated to act, his biggest concern being that the only way to ensure the complete annihilation of the demon race at the time was with a hydrogen bomb. Using such a devastating weapon in the densely populated noble territories near the capital would result in catastrophic casualties among innocent civilians.

But now, times have changed! He possesses the S-rank skill [Sword Saint's Blessing], whose "true damage" characteristic is enough to completely annihilate the demon race and obliterate their existence, just like the power of a hero! He no longer needs to be restrained.

Since that's the case, let's get right to it!

Of course, Chen Ming wouldn't be so reckless as to charge headlong into the enemy lines without any preparation.

Strategically despise the enemy, but tactically take them seriously.

So he first layered hundreds of advanced defensive and support magic spells from the second world onto his body—acceleration, keen perception, resistance to abnormal statuses, mental protective barrier... Layers of radiance flashed across his body, and the powerful magical fluctuations caused the surrounding air to distort slightly.

After taking all necessary precautions, he then used his teleportation ability.

With a spatial fluctuation, Chen Ming's figure appeared above the Earl of Granfelt's mansion.

He stood in mid-air, with six pairs of wings of light slowly flapping behind him, radiating a gentle yet undeniable divine glow.

He was able to pinpoint her location precisely because he had arranged for Crimson to monitor Countess Granfelt's whereabouts 24/7 via the SkyEye satellite system, confirming that she was currently inside this magnificent mansion.

From above, the mansion’s architectural style is quite striking, typical of the Nebian style—one of the main architectural styles that has been popular among the country’s upper class in recent decades.

Its origin lies in the mansion designed by the brilliant architect Nebia for Count Joe Clooney. The work caused a sensation for its unparalleled artistry and functionality, and nobles who visited Count Joe Clooney’s mansion followed suit, commissioning Nebia to renovate their own mansions.

Eventually, even architects from outside Nebia were asked to build new homes for clients in this style.

As a result, this design concept gradually became a symbol of status, and only high-ranking nobles were qualified to build mansions in this style, or at least those of earl rank.

In terms of financial resources, lower-ranking nobles who do well in business can barely afford it, but if a lower-ranking noble dares to build such a mansion, it will be regarded as presumptuous and impolite, and will cause trouble...

Count Granfelt was qualified to build it, but he simply didn't have enough money to afford such a mansion before.

Chen Ming knew the origin of this mansion: it was built by a nobleman who was bewitched by Mina and completely devoted his family fortune. He was so crazy that he dismantled his original Nebian-style mansion and transported it here to rebuild it!

Because Chen Ming did not conceal his figure, and the six pairs of dazzling wings in the air were too dazzling, like a small sun.

Mina, the snake demon within the mansion, quickly noticed his arrival.

"Oh my gosh~, you finally found it? It was faster than I expected."

A languid female voice, tinged with a faint smile, drifted from the luxurious building below: "Please come in, Your Excellency. My humble abode is simple; I hope you will not find it offensive. I happen to have some things I would like to discuss with you."

Mina, the Serpent Demon, spoke with great enthusiasm, as if inviting a long-awaited honored guest.

As soon as he finished speaking, the heavy gate of the mansion seemed to be controlled by an invisible hand, opening silently and automatically inward.

To avoid alerting the snake demons and scaring them away, Chen Mingyi, with his extraordinary courage, fearlessly retracted his light wings and stepped into this seemingly magnificent but actually perilous "snake den"—he was very confident in his own combat strength, and unless the goddess herself came, there was really no one in this world who could threaten him.

The interior of the mansion was dimly lit and luxuriously decorated, yet it exuded an indescribable chill.

What's even more chilling is that the "servants" bustling around the house are not human!

They wore uniform servant uniforms, but their exposed skin was covered with fine scales, their heads had obvious snake-like features, their vertical pupils gleamed with a cold light, and they flicked their forked tongues.

When Chen Ming approached, the snake-men who were concentrating on wiping vases or sweeping the floor would stop what they were doing, stiffly bow their heads in a gesture of respect, their movements so uniform as to be unsettling.

Besides these servants, one could also occasionally see "knights" dressed in armor and carrying longswords within the mansion. They also possessed serpentine features, but were more robust and had fiercer eyes, clearly serpent-men responsible for guarding the area.

Chen Ming's eyes turned slightly cold.

He knew that the many snake people operating in this mansion were all "raw materials" taken from humans—the snake demon Mina possessed a terrifying ability: after she devoured a creature, she could produce eggs that had some of the creature's characteristics and memories, but were absolutely loyal to her.

If you eat a human, you will give birth to a snake-human; if you eat a dog, you will give birth to a snake-dog; if you eat a cat, you will give birth to a snake-cat... These offspring not only possess some of the abilities and memories of their previous lives, but are even enhanced by magic, becoming stronger and more ferocious.

Any human being who witnesses such a distorted and altered form of their own kind would feel an overwhelming sense of revulsion. Chen Ming's brows furrowed tightly, his heart surging with murderous intent!

He strode smoothly through the eerie corridor to the main hall, reserved for entertaining guests. The decor here was far more elaborate than the outside, with thick carpets, priceless oil paintings on the walls, and sculptures and porcelain clearly the work of masters. Cabinets in the corners displayed rows of fine wines, all top-quality, from both within and outside the kingdom. A peculiar aroma, a blend of precious spices and a faint, almost imperceptible fishy scent, filled the air…

Meanwhile, Mina, a snake demon, was lounging lazily on the most luxurious sofa in the center of the hall.

"Welcome to my little mansion, Your Excellency Angel."

She stood up and looked at Chen Ming, a bewitching and alluring smile on her face. "I've been looking forward to your arrival. Come, please take a seat here and let me treat you to a proper meal."

Mina, a snake demon, has brown skin, long black hair that is casually draped over her shoulders, a seductive and voluptuous figure, and wears an extremely revealing purple gauze dress that barely covers her vital parts.

And the vertical pupils in those purple eyes inevitably evoke images of venomous snakes.

She is a snake demon!

Chen Ming was so certain in an instant—because he checked the information panel identified by the system, and the prominent demon's true name explained everything.

However, due to the large number of Mina's power banks, specific information will not be displayed.

Faced with the serpent demons' feignedly enthusiastic invitation, Chen Ming stood motionless, his face covered with frost, and declared in an icy voice:

"There's no need for a seat. From the moment you walked in, you've shown me a lot of disgusting things—"

His gaze swept over the stiff snake-man servants outside the door, his disgust undisguised. "In broad daylight, how dare you twist living humans into these half-human, half-snake monsters? I will not allow it!"

Chapter 247: The Truth About World Number 1

"Oh dear, you did find out after all, the 'raw materials' of those servants."

Mina, the Serpent Demon, was not angered by Chen Ming's blunt dislike. Instead, she smiled meaningfully, as if she were talking about a trivial matter.

At the same time, an invisible, intangible pheromone, carrying a sweet scent, began to emanate from her demonic body, quietly permeating the entire hall. She deliberately swayed her serpentine waist, striking an extremely alluring pose, and explained in a languid tone: